The short answer is that no, skunks do not kill pet house cats. There is no worry of that. However, they will certainly spray them, and that is a big concern!

If you keep pet cats, sometimes you may have predators that will kill them. Many animals love house cats as many people do. When they come into your yard, there are some clues that will be left behind that will tell you the type of animal that ate your pet cats. When the cat is missing completely, then it may have been carried out by an owl, hawk, bobcat, dog, coyote or fox. An owl may leave the carcass behind with a neck and head missing. When there is water near the coop, then raccoons can carry the bird or you may find the carcass near the coop with the insides eaten while the feathers are scattered near the coop.



When the kittens disappear, they may have been eaten by a house cat or snake. A rat may also eat the baby kittens without leaving any trace.

The skunks are known to target the cat foods more than the grown cats. The snakes, skunks and rats will take away an entire cat food. The snake eats the cat food in the nest, while the skunks will leave behind the shells.

When you find out that the house cats have been killed and there are no missing parts, a coyote or dog is probably to blame. If a bird stops moving, then the dog will lose interest and it will start to chase other dogs. Weasels, minks, martens, fishers and ferrets will also kill just for sport. When you find bloodied cats with scattered feathers, it is likely that one of these animals visited you. Weasels may slip within the coop using an opening that is as small as one inch, and the family pack may do much damage in a short time. The parts that are missing from the animal will also help you determine the animals that are behind the killing. The cat that is found near a pen or fence without the head could have been killed by a raccoon for example.

When the skunks attack kittens, they will eat their abdomen while leaving the skin and the muscles unattached, and there will be a lingering odor behind. The skunk may do anything it can so that it can get to the cats; it can try to pass under the fence or over the fence if the fence is too low. It kills and eats the cats that are around. There are also reports of skunks that come up behind the house cats and you can find wings and legs missing.

If you have skunks around your home, then you should make sure that they leave before they start to attack your kittens. They live in hollow logs, woodpiles and rock piles. You do not have to wait until the skunks finish off your cats before you take action.

You may also want to read:

Do skunks attack humans?

Are skunks dangerous to pets?

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